Method of constructing the hulls of ships.



P. H. NELSON. METHOD or cowsmucrms THE HULLS 0F SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED H26. 1917.

Pdtented Oct. 30, 1911 v 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

P. H. NELSON- METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING THE HULLS 0F SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. 1911.

1,244,762 Patented Oct. 30,1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET\ 2.

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ED STATES PATENT OFFICE;-

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 30, 1917.

Application filed May 26, 1917. Serial Ho. 171,181.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Pnnn H. Nansen, a citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at 1409 East Superior street, Duluth,

method of correlating the several elements necessary to make the hull-ofia ship; whereby such a hull may be constructed at much less cost than by the methods heretofore employed.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a ships hullconstructed in such manner that it is possible to employ cast off or scrap metal in their construction.

It is a well known fact that under the conditions of modern warfare enormous tonnages of merchant shipping are sunk. It, therefore, becomes a roblem to construct ships at the least possible cost because it is a foregoing conclusion that a large number of them will be sunk.

It is' apparent, therefore, that the same considerations of stability and long life for the vessels constructed do not apply during times of warfare, that apply during tunes of eace, but that upon the contrary it is deslrable to provide the cheapest possible construction irrespective of the length of life of the vessel.

However,-it is not to be understood that the'construction employed necessarily produces a vessel of short life. The point that it is intended to emphasize is that it is possi ble by the construction herein shown and described to provide a hull consisting lar' ely of cast off or scrap metal.

urther objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows:

,In the accompanying drawings, 7

Figure 1- is a transverse, vertical, sectional view.

Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Fig. 3 is a vertical, sectional vlew on l1ne 3--3 of Fig. 1 with certain of the parts omitted.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view of a part of one of the sides of the hull,

and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, horizontal section with the cement filling omitted.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention I provide a keel consisting of a mass of concrete or other cementitious material indicated at 5 and in this cement I embed pairs of discarded railroad rails 6, 7 and 8. An additional rail 9 is embedded in the mass of cement adjacent the top of the keel and a channel iron 11 which may be, if desired, discarded building material, is embedded in the mass of cement between the rails 6 and .7. A plate 12 underlies the keel and tie rods 13 extend about the mass of concrete or cement which constitutes the keel and the ends of these rods pass through the plates 12 and are secured thereto by nuts or like fastening devices let. The ribs of the hull are made up of rails 15, the ball portions 16 of which are disposed inwardly and consequently the base portions thereof are disposed outwardly as indicated at 17. Plates19 underlie the base portions 'of the rails 15 and spikes 18 and 19 engage the rails and plates and enter planking 2O constituting the outer sheathing of the ship. Reinforcing rods 21 extend longitudinally of the hull and lie between the adjacent edges of the plates 18. These rods he cutwardly of the base portions of the rails 15 and inwardly of the planking 20. Additional reinforcing rods 22 extend over the tops of the rails 15, or in other words, over the ball portions 16 of'said rails and intermediate these rails the rods 22 are bowed toward the outside of the hull. The planks constituting the planking 20 have their adjacent edges spaced from each other a Sllfilcient distance to leave spaces 23. The entire space between the ribs 16 is filled with cement 24c and some of this cement enters the spaces 23 as indicated at 25, thereby completely filling these spaces. When the planking 20 swells under the action of the water they bind so tightly upon the portions 25 of the cement that caulking of the hull is rendered unnecessary.

To maintain the rods 22 in their proper position during the filling in of the cement,

hooks 26 are preferably employed which I serve as an emergency cargo bottom. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come with in the spirit of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim is: I 1. A ship hull comprising a plurality of ribs, planking supported therefrom and a filling of cement between said ribs, some of which cement extends into spaces between the planks of the planking and against which the planking presses when said planking swells under the action of water.

2. A hull construction comprising a keel made up of a body of cement having a plurality of railroad rails embedded therein, a plurality of curved rails extending transversely through said body of cement and lying between some of the first named rails and constituting the ribs of the hull, the flanged portions of said rails being disposed outwardly and the planking spiked to the flanged portions of said rails.

3. A structure as recited in claim 4 in which the space between the ribs is filled with a body of cement, some of which enters the spaces between said planking.

i. A hull construction comprisin a keel consisting of a'body of cement having longitudinally extending reinforcing members embedded therein, bowed rails extending transversely therethrough and constituting the ribs of the hull, the base portions of said rails being disposed outwardly, lanking extending longitudinally of the ull and spiked to the base portions of said rails, re-

the base portions of the rails between the ball portions thereof, means for tying the bowed portions of said rods to the planking and a filling of cement between the rails,

some of which enters spaces formed between the planks of the planking as and for the purposes set forth.

5. A hull construction comprising a keel of cement, a plurality of railroad rails embedded therein, tie rods extending therearound, means lying beneath the keel to which said tie rods are connected, curved ribs formed of railroad rails extending transversely through the keel and lying between some of the rails that are embedded in said keel, planking spiked to the outer faces of said bowed rails and a filling of cement between said bowed rails, some of which extends outwardly between spaces formed between the planks of said planking as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

PHER H. NELSON. 

